Perhaps unsurprisingly, of 202 respondents, 61pc said their primary reason for visiting the hairstylist was for their hair. However, the other 39pc indicated that they were “not here for the hair”.

So what else are men getting out of their short back and sides?

First of all, fun – proving male-only banter isn’t just of the “locker-room” variety favoured by Donald Trump.

Male-only banter, it seems, doesn't have to be toxic. It can be a positive tonic.

The paper draws on previous research that shows man-talk is not just entertaining, it can also be therapeutic. And this bantering has been shown to give significant residual happiness after men have left the barber shop. The longer they stay there, the stronger the effect.

The research also highlights a racial distinction. When asked if they often chatted with their stylist, white men were the least likely to answer in the positive. But black men were twice as likely to report they were “not here for the hair,” saying they also went socialise, chat and exchange banter with mates.

Graph from the research paper “Is having a haircut good for your mental health?” by Tamika Roper and John Barry

This should be of huge interest to health professionals, because the two items these men talk about are about “my health” and “personal issues”.

Here, the paper points to the clinical truth that, in general, men seek professional psychological help less than women do, and black men are less likely to seek psychological help than white men.

In addition, black men are more likely to suffer from mental health problems, are more likely to be sectioned and are at a higher risk of suicide.

We should be doing more to make barber shops happier places for white menJohn Barry

The paper points to familiar themes that prevent men opening up: family privacy, lack of knowledge about treatments, and the stigma attached to mental health issues.

There is also evidence black men are specifically turned off seeking professional help. As one attendee at a lecture on the report’s findings told me: “Black men seek refuge in barbershops because therapists tend to be white and middle classes – so these men can’t relate to them. So black men in particular use the barber shop for mental health relief”.

We can all learn from this, says John Barry: “We should be doing more to make barber shops happier places for white men.”

Our mental health policy makers should seize upon both Roper’s study and the Lions Barbers’ work, and utilise barber shops as a frontline service in men’s mental health provision.

Barbershops provide a male space for men to talkCredit:
Getty

We can now conclusively state that barbers are a trusted confidant for many men; a front-line service for mental health provision. So why not make more of it?

Here, a skilled hand is needed at the helm. Most men would run a mile if they thought barber shops were turning into touchy-feely “safe spaces”.

I believe the sweet spot lies in seeing the barber’s as a modern gentlemen’s club, where men spend time, bantering, networking, and unburdening.

If they want additional, professional help, men can be pointed in the right direction by non-judgmental and trusted “gatekeepers” who just happen to be barbers.

It’s all about talking to men on men’s terms, not expecting them to “man up” or be more like women.

Throw in a few beers or cocktails and some great music and you’re onto something.

Yet when this precise model was employed by Manchester firebrand Johnny Barber, who excluded women from his shop, he was smeared as a misogynist, had his premises vandalised and found himself on the receiving end of death threats from so-called diversity advocates.

But we should put aside the bleats of any protestors who cry wolf over sexism: helping save men’s lives is too important. In a confusing world, barbers offer men not only an oasis of calm, but, if this study is to be believed, a lifeline of hope.